Latest Small Business Headlines
All the headlines from our Small Business Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Small Firms’ Health Insurance Tax Break Disappoints
May 31 2012 // It seemed like a good idea at the time. But a health insurance tax credit for small businesses, part of President Barack Obama’s health care law that gets strong support in public opinion polls, has turned out to be...
Indiana Finds Assurant Subsidiaries Overcharged Small Businesses
May 29 2012 // Three subsidiaries of Assurant Health will provide refunds to small group health insurance policyholders that Indiana insurance regulators say the companies overcharged. Indiana Insurance Commissioner Stephen W. Robertson...
N.J. Examines Stop-Loss Insurance for Self-Insured Small Businesses
May 2 2012 // A growing number of small businesses in New Jersey are self-funding or self-insuring their employees’ healthcare costs, and they are opting out of paying fixed premiums for traditional health insurance plans like...
How to Help Small Businesses Avoid Underinsurance and Anticipate the Unexpected
Apr 16 2012 // In recent years, the United States has been impacted by devastating weather events, many unprecedented and unexpected. According to the Environment America Research and Policy Center, more than 15 million Americans live in...
Oklahoma Gov. Signs Bill Limiting Liability at Gun Ranges, Shops, Clubs
Apr 12 2012 // Legislation signed by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin would limit the liability of owners, employees and customers for injuries that take place on gun ranges, gun shops and gun clubs. Senate Bill 875, by state Sen. Anthony Sykes...
N.Y. Financial Services Chief Pushes for State Health Exchange
Mar 23 2012 // New York State’s top financial regulator is urging the Republican majority in the state’s Senate to help establish the health insurance exchange. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democrat-controlled Assembly, along...
5 Startup Businesses Agents Should Watch
Mar 1 2012 // It hasn’t been the best of times for America’s Main Street businesses. Often facing overwhelming competition from big box stores, many small businesses face an uphill battle from the outset and more than a few...
When Main Street Meets the Cloud
Feb 6 2012 // Small Business Risks to Consider When Accessing Technology for Growth It’s a familiar small-business success story: A company extends its storefront from Main Street to the Internet. It uses social media to spread...
U.S. Offers Small Businesses Free Cyber Security Tool
Feb 6 2012 // The U.S. government is making it easier for small businesses to beef up defenses against cyber criminals through a free, online tool. The Small Biz Cyber Planner allows business owners to create customized cyber security...
Five Startup Businesses Agents Should Watch
Feb 6 2012 // It hasn’t been the best of times for America’s Main Street businesses. Often facing overwhelming competition from big box stores, many small businesses face an uphill battle from the outset and more than a few...
Report Says Mafia Now ‘Italy’s No.1 Bank’ as Economic Crisis Bites
Jan 11 2012 // Organized crime has tightened its grip on the Italian economy during the economic crisis, making the Mafia the country’s biggest “bank” and squeezing the life out of thousands of small firms, according to...
Professional Lines Market Faces Uncertainty: Torus
Nov 22 2011 // The professional liability insurance market will face challenges in 2012 with widespread concerns over pricing, a heightened awareness of the current regulatory environment and fast-emerging new risks for small businesses,...
Small Business Owners Trust Their Agents, Survey Reports
Nov 21 2011 // Small business owners trust their independent insurance agents and commercial insurance carriers more than other financial services businesses, a new study reports. The study, commissioned by The Hanover Insurance Group...
Wall Street and Insurance Industry
Nov 21 2011 // The recent “Occupy Wall Street” movement highlighted the public’s discontent with giant financial institutions and the country’s growing income inequity between the rich and the poor. The protesters...
Beyond Wall Street
Nov 21 2011 // We’re in the news business and this isn’t exactly news. It’s more like another confirmation of something we have all known for a long time. Here is the not-so-new news flash: Small business owners trust...
Small Business Owners Report High Trust in Agents, Survey Reports
Nov 14 2011 // Small business owners trust their independent insurance agents and commercial insurance carriers more than other financial services businesses, a new study reports. The study, commissioned by The Hanover Insurance Group...
Utica National Launches Cybersurance for Small Businesses
Oct 28 2011 // Between 2005 and 2010, more than 350 million personal records were exposed in reported data breaches alone. Those numbers include data, privacy and security breaches by cyber-criminals accessing sensitive company and...
U.S. Offering Small Businesses Free Cyber Security Tool
Oct 25 2011 // The U.S. government is making it easier for small businesses to beef up defenses against cyber criminals through a free, online tool, the top U.S. communications regulator said Monday. The Small Biz Cyber Planner will...
The Hartford Launches Data Breach Coverage For Small Businesses
Sep 19 2011 // While data breaches at large companies continue to dominate the headlines, breaches involving smaller businesses are also on the rise. According to a 2011 report from Verizon Business of more than 760 data breaches...
Agents Say Insurers Out of Touch with Needs of Small Businesses
Aug 11 2011 // Insurance agents and brokers think that their insurance carriers may be out of touch with what the small business segment needs. For one, carriers have been busy coming out with new products and coverage enhancements for...
